The construction of the Trade Skills Facility was a difficult project for a number of reasons. The building itself was a complex design with a high level of acoustic requirements housing classrooms, commercial kitchen space, music tutorial areas and adjacent to the existing performing arts building, however when you combine this with the day to day access requirements of an operating school, extensive existing site services, site contamination, staged access requirements to the car park and a subgrade that required a complete redesign of the piling and footing system to the main building on the run you start to develop the picture.
The end result however, shows none of the trials and tribulations of this journey. The legacy of the hard work is a well constructed functional building that provides a quality learning space for the students that use it.
The concrete frame is supported on a series of driven timber pile that had to be installed during school holidays to prevent disruption to the students. Structural steel provides the framing to the upper floor joining into the existing performing arts building.
The ground floor houses a reception space, a lobby to compliment the existing adjoining PAC building and a commercial kitchen/ learning space with a small cafe serving, students, staff and parents a much needed coffee to start the day.
The first floor provides storage for musical instruments along with two large rehearsal room, three smaller practice rooms, a specific drumming room, a classroom and adjoining tutorial space and a staff room.